Recent Posts
Home >Unlabelled > Growing up as John Wayne's son in O.C. - Local News - Orange County, CA - Santa Ana, CA on Astini News
Growing up as John Wayne's son in O.C. - Local News - Orange County, CA - Santa Ana, CA on Astini News
Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2011 by astini
& NEWPORT BEACH -- Ethan Wayne, as his surname implies, is one of the seven children of John Wayne, one of Orange County's most famous residents. &
Despite that, Ethan Wayne insists that his life growing up was "not typical Hollywood at all.
"Our life was basically small-town beach life," the 49-year-old Wayne said. "(Dad) drove a station wagon. He shopped at White Front and Sears."
Newport Beach was a much smaller place back then, he said, admitting the routinely heavy traffic on Coast Highway tends to irritate him.
Still, he has no intention of leaving his hometown for locales elsewhere.
John Wayne left the San Fernando Valley for Newport Beach in the 1960s. Even before Wayne lived in Orange County, he frequented Newport Beach. In fact, he lost his football scholarship with USC because he injured himself surfing there.
"He had a long history himself down here. Newport was a smaller beach and fishing town," Ethan Wayne said. "At that time, it was much more low-key."
The Wayne family lived in a home Ethan Wayne characterized as in a regular neighborhood. One neighbor a couple of doors down was a single mother who worked as a dental hygienist.
There were no big fences, no checkpoint in the driveway ... though John Wayne once joked he needed to wear a wig when he went out front to water the lawn.
"There weren't paparazzi. We didn't have bodyguards. (Dad) answered the phone; he answered the door," Ethan Wayne said. "My life was pretty normal for having such an iconic, legendary father. ... We did get a lot of mail."
Ethan Wayne still lives in town, though he admits it's grown -- and a bit too much.
"I saw a paid parking lot the other day, and it annoyed me to no end."
But he still likes it for the same reason his father did: The lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean.
***
After travelling with his father for most of his childhood, Ethan Wayne returned to the motion-picture industry as a stuntman, spending several years crashing cars and taking tumbles.
His first gig was working for stunt coordinator Gary McLarty doing "Blues Brothers."
"It was a natural transition," Wayne said. "As a kid, I grew up around the stuntmen. I had a relationship with these guys. They knew I could drive a car or motorcycle and do the fight."
He also made appearances in "Knight Rider" and "BJ and the Bear."
That led to guest appearances on those shows, and an eventual transition to acting.
"I liked acting better, because stunt work can escalate to where it gets pretty dangerous," Wayne said. "You have to do it when it's cold dark and rainy. You have to be a professional about it and doing it 10 times over."
In the 1980s, he played attorney Storm Logan on the soap, "The Bold and the Beautiful."
The show had been on in the U.S. for four years when it began airing in Italy and became a hit. That made Wayne an international star. At one point, he kept rental homes there, because he visited so often promoting the show.
Though he more often stays closer to home these days, Wayne is no stranger to travel.
Much of his youth was spent on the Wild Goose, John Wayne's beloved yacht.
For Ethan Wayne, it was no luxury liner. He had to earn his keep.
"On the boat, you had chores. You mopped the deck, you wiped down the rails ... hauling garbage," Wayne said. But it was worth it, he added. "It was like being on Jacques Cousteau's team. It was a constant adventure. ...
"I didn't know when it was winter, summer, Halloween or whatever, because I was waiting for my dad to say, 'We're going this way,' or 'We're going that way.'"
When not on the water, Wayne travelled with his father from filming location to filming location.
Much of that time they spent in the Mexican state of Durango, where an Old West main street was built in the middle of the high desert.
"I loved it. I liked being with my dad ... in Mexico -- in the wilderness. You're in John Wayne country. For me, it was like growing up on a ranch or going to camp. ... I wish I could go back there."
John Wayne loved Mexico. There, he got the same recognition, "if not more so than back home," Ethan Wayne said. "He spent a lot of his career in Mexico. He married three Latin women."
One of them, a Peruvian woman named Pilar Pallete, spent 27 years with John Wayne. They had three children together: Marisa; Ethan; and Aissa.
****
Ethan Wayne looks like his father, and has a calm demeanor. His speech carries his emotions. He isn't idle.
He's president of John Wayne Enterprises, the company that manages John Wayne's image and the merchandising that goes along with it, from Wayne-inspired Western wear to small-batch Bourbon and organic beef jerky.
He also heads the John Wayne Cancer Foundation
John Wayne recovered from having lung cancer in the 1960s, but died in 1979 from stomach cancer. Before he passed, he decided to help others suffering from the disease.
The foundation funds awareness programs, support groups, cancer research, trains oncologists through the John Wayne Cancer Institute.
"In my opinion, my father's greatest legacy is helping people who are sick," Ethan Wayne said.
Wayne also hasn't left Hollywood completely. He's currently writing a screenplay.
"I am concentrating on this, though I am working," he said. "It's a human story about choices that we make when we're young and how they affect us when we get older ... the emotional consequences of turning right or left. It's set around a life that's somewhat adventurous."
A kind of life, it seems, Wayne knows something about.
amp;amp;amp;nbsp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;amp;amp;amp;lt;pamp;amp;amp;gt;Your browser does not support iframes.amp;amp;amp;lt;/pamp;amp;amp;gt;
Contact the writer: 714-704-3796 or mmello @ocregister.com
& & & &
Blog Archive
-
▼
2011
(2934)
-
▼
December
(691)
- Victoria Justice's Gleamy Glamour, DL1961 Denim an...
- Super food pomegranate keeps you young on Astini News
- Lady Antebellum Top Country Album Chart on Astini ...
- Photo Release -- ZAP Jonway Announcing New JNZ SHU...
- Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams...
- ESPN's Berman, Jackson bring back 'NFL PrimeTime' ...
- Norma King | Crazy chemo lady on board on Astini News
- Seattle chain looks to become Hooters of coffee sh...
- Baker, North power into Queen of the Palms Classic...
- Injury, misfortune will test Warriors' guard depth...
- Indiana prep QB Gunner Kiel commits to LSU Tigers ...
- Eyewitness News Story Rundown for Saturday, Decemb...
- Cooking in Progress' leaves you hungry for more on...
- AP Police mulls giving corporate look to police st...
- Amber Rose Buttons Up For New StyleCaster Photo Sh...
- $172K violin left on Philly-bound bus is recovered...
- Eddie Vedder | Pearl Jam Donate Guitar To Burglary...
- Justin Bieber And His Little Sister Sing 'Baby' At...
- Have you got The X Factor? Online auditions now op...
- Rupert Grint is the Ultimate Santa Claus :: Elites...
- Colts' Future To Be Determined In Finale With Jags...
- Will Hollywood still shower the love on Obama? - E...
- Russia orders submarine blaze investigation - Cent...
- Wenzhouâs Black Box: How Chinaâs Train Tragedy...
- Organism in tap water prompts Neti pot warning | L...
- Pro-Huntsman super PAC calls Romney a âchameleon...
- Sneak Peek: CBS gives final look of Marg Helgenber...
- Healthy Deviled Eggs Using Garbanzo Beans Recipe o...
- The American Reporter Vol. 16, No. 4,365 on Astini...
- The Secret World unveils new horrific creatures on...
- Forecast: Rain today, and a chance of rain for New...
- Chicago corn, soybean jump on South America weathe...
- Electronic Deals at Sears 1-Day Sale this Thursday...
- Viggo Mortensen Reveals How He Became Freud in â...
- The Blackberry 9860 Torch is an advanced handset o...
- PlayStation Vita sales drop in Japan on Astini News
- BlackBerry Bold 9900: The swan song of a standard ...
- Danny Green pulls out of Sydney to Hobart race on ...
- George Soros Heads to Myanmar - Southeast Asia Rea...
- As 2012 nears, keep your Bic ready to flick » Abi...
- USC, Utah and Oregon State sign JC players - Pac-1...
- Diet Detective: A healthy Holiday Gift Guide 2011 ...
- Vanity Fairâs Carter Adds Pickled Pear at Monkey...
- Permit extended for Washington protesters on Astin...
- Paying Homage To Outcasts On 'Bad As Me' : NPR on ...
- MMA: Why Jon Jones Is a Future Heavyweight Champio...
- Salt-potassium ratio may trump blood pressure for ...
- Daredevil Inventor Gets on History Channel: on Ast...
- Cain Accuser Says She Doesn't Regret Speaking Out ...
- Attack of the Super Bee! on Astini News
- Your New iPhone: What You Need to Know on Astini News
- Odd weather pattern keeps snow away from Minnesota...
- ESPN's "The Wrestler" Segment on Wrestling's Scott...
- Senate Bill 5 foes not sure how to use funds on As...
- The American Reporter Vol. 16, No. 4,362 on Astini...
- Idaho Man Ordered Held for White House Shooting on...
- St. Louis Rams: Jon Gruden's QB May Not Be Sam Bra...
- Katy Perry and Russell Brand spend Holiday break a...
- Growing up as John Wayne's son in O.C. - Local New...
- What a waste! $77 million Powerball jackpot expire...
- Elk program cost 3 times original estimate on Asti...
- Venezuela's Chavez: Did U.S. give Latin American l...
- Mississippi State defenders keep eyes on NFL statu...
- ÂRemasters, at Plug Projects, draws on art hist...
- LSE Says 2011 London IPO Proceeds Up 27%, Sees "Ex...
- Cincinnati Bengals avoid blackout for second time ...
- BLOG: Rick Perry's inadvertent tribute to toleranc...
- 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution' heads 2011 Top 10 list...
- Tigers expected to offer contract to Delmon Young ...
- Ashley Judd Stars in ABC's MISSING, Premiering 3/1...
- Gamasutra - Press Releases - Combat Arms Brings Fe...
- Mike Rowe Visits The 'Doomsday Vault' (VIDEO) on A...
- Inside Pulse | Paranormal Activity 3 Blu-ray Annou...
- Asetek to Offer Liquid Cooling Solutions for Incre...
- Concept First Drive: Land Rover DC100 Sport on Ast...
- Taylor Swift's 'Hunger Games' song, and an upset u...
- BoT against passing the buck on Astini News
- World Eagerly Awaits Christmas Miracle of Dick Che...
- Elizabeth Taylor remembered by Shirley MacLaine | ...
- State's Seismic Regulators Erase Electronic Inform...
- Iran warns of closing strategic oil route - World ...
- Evolution triggered by climate change on Astini News
- Camelot Information Systems Announces Appointment ...
- Two resign from Kodak board; represented KKR | Reu...
- Japanese judo Olympic champ Masato Uchishiba charg...
- Napoleon Bonaparte and Egypt's lost scrolls | Art ...
- Tiger Woods Girlfriend | Hot Momma Gossip on Astin...
- Drew Peterson Finds Movie Trailer 'Hilarious' - Lo...
- Congress seeks legal framework for Internet censor...
- Donât Be Afraid of the Dark brings the scares in...
- Former workers seek state investigation of Chrome ...
- New Citibank Survey Shows Rebound in Economic Opti...
- TalkRadio 790 KABC-AM - Los Angeles on Astini News
- Barronâs Sees Shares of Ulta Salon (ULTA) Near P...
- Ultimate Leading Lady: Anna Paquin vs. Nina Dobrev...
- Passion for technology, curiosity drive scholar at...
- Blagojevich cohort won't serve more time for fraud...
- BBC News - Berkshire Hathaway buys Warren Buffett'...
- Meyer not looking back | Gainesville.com on Astini...
- SOPA Haters Are Already Finding Easy Ways To Circu...
-
▼
December
(691)